The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

The ancient Jewish prophet Joel, in the first two chapters of his prophecy, introduced a very significant prophetic phrase, the "Day of the Lord". The definition of this phrase is "any time in history when the Lord intercedes in the affairs of man, personally on the earth".

In Joel's description of the "Day of the Lord" he starts, as does a Jewish day, with the evening and night first and then the full day to follow. Thus the prophecies in this book are described with the darkest of events first, followed by the more encouraging prophecies. As we come to Joel 3 we see that the Lord is warning the people that "war" is approaching and they must get ready.

This passage does give us insight into the Lord's mind and it reveals that there is justification for "war" for the believer. The Lord tells the Jews to "prepare war". Notice He does not say "prepare for war" but "prepare war". In other words get ready right now.

The "mighty men" are to take their farming implements, their "plowshares" and turn them into "swords". These men must turn their "pruning hooks" into spears. The Jews, in the last days, are to be always ready for going to war.

It seems by Joel's statement that the battle will take place in the area of Jerusalem, the "Valley of Jehoshaphat". The "Valley of Jehoshaphat" is the Kidron Valley located between the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives to the east of the Temple Mount.

At the time of this war, Jerusalem will be the main focus for all wars. Zechariah 14:2 says all the nations of the world will gather at Jerusalem for the beginning of the "Campaign of Armageddon" which is the first phase of the Battle of Armageddon.

This "mother of all wars" actually begins in the Valley of Jehoshaphat in Jerusalem. Verse 16says that the Lord shall "roar out of Zion (Jerusalem) and the heavens and earth shall shake."

The truth is that before the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, roars out of Jerusalem "He roars into Jerusalem", Zechariah 14:4. The Messiah comes to Jerusalem to the Valley of Jehoshaphat to judge the Gentiles and then become the "hope of His people", the Jewish people.

The days described in Joel, the days during the "Day of the Lord" could well be describing the days we are living in today. There is the threat of war in almost all of the Middle East and much of it is focused on Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

As the days of Joel's prophecy play out in our world today the "voice of the Lord" will be "uttered from Jerusalem", verse 16. The way that the Lord will deal with His people, the Jews, is that His voice shall be heard throughout all the land and, in fact, all of the world. His voice, His word, will go forth from Jerusalem as His prophecies are fulfilled.

By the way, with the Middle East as it is today, the Lord's warning for war is appropriate. That war is coming soon. Jesus is also coming back to Earth, soon. However, before Jesus returns to Earth He will shout and call all Christians up to be with Him in the Heavens, and that could happen today, keep looking up.

PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me Lord, to understand the days I'm living in and with all current events setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled, help me to be ready for that coming and warn others of these days and their prophetic significance.